Dacia unveils new Sandrider prototype

Dacia has announced that it will be competing in the 2025 Dakar Rally and the World Rally-Raid Championship, and that it will be doing so in a vehicle that could look like this.

It's called the Dacia Sandrider, and while it's now just a prototype, Dacia does state that it will be homologated to run in the premier Ultimate T1+ category, and that the car will test its approach of essentialism and affordable decarbonisation on the toughest terrains.

The carbon body panels of the Dacia Sandrider integrate anti-infrared pigments to help keep its interior cool

Aiding these goals is the no frills exterior of the Sandrider. The car is said to sport only the bare essentials, so any body panels beyond those absolutely necessary have been removed.

Up front, the car gets a short floating bonnet that accompanies a dashboard which gets its upper section coated in an anti-reflective paint, both designed to maximise visibility for the driver. This dashboard is also said to adopt a modular design that allows the car to cater to the different needs of different drivers and co-drivers.

Further back, Sabelt seats which are upholstered in special anti-bacterial fabrics that self-regulate humidity also feature, no doubt with an eye to more challenging rally conditions.

The dashboard of the prototype adopts a modular design that allows the car to adapt to the different requirements and preferences of each driver and co-driver

And further aiding heat management in the cabin is the use of anti-infrared pigments that are integrated into the carbon material of the vehicle's few remaining body panels.

Dacia states that the Sandrider will take part in a long series of development tests in several countries before making its debut at the Rallye du Maroc 2024, the Moroccan leg of the World Rally-Raid Championship.

Its official World Rally-Raid Championship team, meanwhile, will comprise of three crews alongside World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb and Dakar Rally veteran Cristina Gutierrez Herrero, as well as two-time winner of the World Rally-Raid Championship Nasser Al-Attiyah.